Parts of the Seed

Plant seeds come from flowers and fruits
in many shapes and sizes. The fruit of a plant contains many seeds.
Think about the number of seeds in a watermelon. When the fruit leaves the plant it starts to
decay. This allows the seeds inside to reach the soil where they can
grow into new plants. These seeds are sometimes pushed into the soil
by rain. Animals like squirrels and chipmunks bury seeds as well.

Look at the diagram of the seed. When seeds are
planted in the soil they absorb water. As temperatures become warmer the
cells of the embryo inside the seed begin to divide and the embryo grows.
The embryo uses the stored food within the endosperm to grow
and it eventually breaks through the seed coat. The roots sprout and it is
now a new plant. The sprouting of a new plant is called germination.

The roots of this new plant take in minerals and water
to help it grow. As the stem grows up, leaves begin to appear.
The leaves help the plant make its own food. The plant becomes an
adult plant that will develop flowers. The flowers develop seeds and the
reproduction cycle begins again.